Ketamine Factsheet.pdf

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic with trade names including Ketalar and Ketaset, and street names such as Special K and Vitamin K. It has been used as an injectable anesthetic since the 1970s and has gained popularity as a drug of abuse.

Licit uses of ketamine include treatment of psychological disorders like depression and anxiety, with the S-enantiomer esketamine approved for treatment-resistant depression in 2019. Prescriptions for ketamine have increased, with 65,411 dispensed in 2024, and esketamine prescriptions have also risen, with 553,103 dispensed in 2024.

Ketamine's chemical name is 2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(methylamino)-cyclohexanone, and it is a white crystalline powder soluble in water. It is a rapid-acting non-barbiturate dissociative anesthetic that produces sedation, immobility, amnesia, and analgesia.

Illicit uses of ketamine involve distorting perceptions, making users feel disconnected, and producing hallucinogenic effects lasting 30-60 minutes. It is usually snorted, mixed in drinks, or smoked, with an average dose of 100mg.

The user population for ketamine includes teenagers and young adults, with 0.3% of people aged 12 and older in the US using ketamine in 2022 and 2023. Ketamine is distributed as a dried powder or liquid and is often found in combination with other substances like MDMA or cocaine.

Ketamine is controlled in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, and the Drug Enforcement Administration collects data on its use and distribution through the National Forensic Laboratory Information System.